Around the world with Tate

Best-selling author Tom Clancy, “West Wing” star Stockard Channing and Motion Picture Association of America president Jack Valenti will be among the speakers visiting SMU as part of the 2003-2004 season of the Willis M. Tate Distinguished Lecture Series.

The lineup, announced during the final lecture of the 2002-2003 season featuring Vice President Dick Cheney, is the 22nd season for the series whose past speakers have included former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, physicist Stephen Hawking, former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev and best-selling author and journalist Tom Wolfe.

“Whether it is policy, business, science or culture, the Tate Lecture Series continues its tradition of presenting national and international issues featuring well-known speakers and panelists,” said Vice President for Development and External Affairs Jeanne Whitman.

The 22nd season will begin on Sept. 24 with a lecture titled “American Leadership in Today’s World.”

The panelists will include former U.S. Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen and former U.S. Senator George Mitchell. David Gergen, editor-at-large of U.S. News &World Report, will moderate the discussion.

Gergen has been a part of the Tate lineup for six years and has moderated lectures with panelists ranging from journalists Cokie Roberts and Thomas Friedman to politicians Bill Bradley and Jack Kemp

Other season highlights include archaeologist Zahi Hawass’s lecture about his experiences as the director of the Giza Pyramids excavation in Egypt and a discussion on entertainment media and national culture featuring Jack Valenti, president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America and William Bennet, former U.S. secretary of education.

The 22nd season will conclude with an interview featuring Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Computer Corp.

Alan Webber, co-founding editor of Fast Company magazine, will be on hand to interview Dell in an informal discussion for Tate audiences.

“SMU is pleased to bring these perspectives not only to the university but to the Dallas community,” Whitman said.

Current season ticket holders have until June 17 to renew their seats. Those wanting to be added to the waiting list for season tickets can contact the SMU Lecture Programs Office at (214) 768-8283.

Single event tickets will be available before each lecture, and a limited number of tickets will be made available to the students for free immediately before each lecture with a valid student ID in the basement of McFarlin Auditorium.